4th response to the scarlet letter

          When they were describing Dimmesdale as the "Black Man", it was because black represents evil or badness. Since the town's people didn't know who the culprit was that Hester cheated on her husband with, they had to give him that nickname because it was a horrible sin that he allowed Hester to have sex with a man other than her husband. This really contradicts his role in their society since he was the minister. Usually white would be associated with a minister because it represents purity.

          Also he could have been seen as one of the elect since he could maybe have a closer connection with God in the Puritans eyes. Also having to do with the chest pains that he was having, anyone could easily predict that, he too, spiritually, had been stamped with the mark of an adulterer. When thinking of pain, someone may also think of the color red because of blood or the color skin can get from a dreadful occurrence. This links back to the scarlet letter that Hester wore which signified a connection between the two. The pains that he expressed could maybe represent Hester's inward pains as well, but that signifies that both of them should feel guilty about what they did and not just Hester.

3rd response for the Scarlett letter

               The Scarlett Letter on Hester's bosom is what is standing out
      the most so far, hence the title. In the book it says wearing
      it kind of tortures her day by day. Instead of people looking
      at her as an individual, they would now look at her as the
      scarlett letter because it seems as if it's consuming her as
      an individual. Now I think for further generations in Boston
      anyone would criticize people of Hester's descent. Also,
      people would refer to her if another occurrence happened like
      that of hers.
   
               It was strange when the stranger kept looking her in her eye
      and asking about her. Then I think he came to visit her in
      jail; I'm not positive if that was actually the case, but
      that's what I got from it. That made me wonder if that was
      the person she had an affair with since she doesn't want to
      tell who it is, although it does say he is even a stranger to
      her. If it is indeed the person she had an affair with, then
      it would take away the individuality from her and focus on
      both of them as a couple of some sort that should be
      condemned.

Beginning Chapters of The Scarlet Letter

     In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there isn't much of an introduction for the main character in the beginning. Hester is introduced to the readers as a sinner right when the negative commentary is being said about her from some of the citizens. They are Puritans so they just immediately condemn her for adultery. Hawthorne describes her as really pretty with details of how she is dressed and her facial features. The puritan females in the book probably secretly envied her grace and angelic outlook. I'm sure if anyone dared to compliment her physical looks, they would be negatively looked at by others.
          In the first chapter, there are some elements of Romanticism too. The jail is described as gloomy, but it is contrasted with scent and beauty of a rose bush. Nature is an element of romanticism along with dark, deep emotion/setting. Furthermore, a rose is red, and Hester had a red A on her bosom so that color is significant. When I think of red, I think of danger or urgency because of stop lights and signs.. I also think of passion and desire. Thinking of the devil also makes me think red could mean something with anger or  a wrath. The rosebush could hint to people coming near the jail that their is danger nearby because the people in jail have done something bad enough for them to get in there, but the beauty of it makes a view attracted to it. This could be similar to when Hester is seen with the red A. The red alarms the people to turn away from her, but her beauty and the loudness of the color of the red of the A attracts them to her or makes them want to talk pessimistically about her.

Before Thoughts of Reading The Scarlett Letter

.           I have been reffered by Tiffany Knatt to read The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. She said she thinks I would be interested in reading it, but she did not tell me why she thought I would have an interest in the book. I have heard about this book prior to her telling me about it from the movie Easy A. From what I heard, it's about a lady named Hesther, and I think she lived in Massachusetts. Evidently, she was an adulterer and had to wear a red "A" on her chest so everyone would know the crime she committed.
          From this little piece of information, I can guess that the city shunned her and wouldn't associate with her. I believe many people probably committed adultery back in those days, but they didn't get pregnant and have a baby like Hesther did so they just didn't get caught. I can't wait for my knowledge to go further on this book once I start getting deep into it. I think it'll be good, but some parts may be a little boring if I don't fully understand it all. Besides that, I'll probably like it. 

Parties at the Gatsby House

          In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby has extraordinary, extravagant parties that many people attend. His purpose was to find Daisy, but he kept having them until he found someone that knew her. The fetes started late in the night and ended early in the morning. This reminds me of the opposite of my life, although the people in the book are older than me. I usually just come home with chores and other work to attend too. As I was reading, I was think,"Dang, I wish I could go to something like this."
          When I do go to events every weekend or so though, I get fatigued of going out places every weekend so I generally need a break from  having too much fun. I think Gatsby felt the same way. He was probably tired of having so many parties, but he had to keep having them to ensure he found his dream girl. He wanted to impress her and let her hear about the parties instead of going to look for her and telling her to come. That does show that he has determination to get what he wants since he kept doing that to find her, and I'd like to have his type of determination. Well, I wouldn't want to physically hurt anyone to be placed in a similar position to his, but it would be cool to have a mysterious but well known demeanor.

Sexual Affairs in The Great Gatsby

          In The Great Gatsby, the married couple Tom Buchanan and Daisy are having affairs. Specifically sexual relations with other people besides with each other. I believe Tom just wants a mistress to have on the side. I don't believe they truly loved one another since they had recent carnal knowledge of other people, and they were being adulterers, similar to Hesther in The Scarlett Letter. This being said, they should have gotten a divorce due to this. I think Daisy had an idea that he was, but she probably wasn't sure.
          Daisy and Gatsby were in love before she even married Tom. This is still not a reason to bypass that she was an adulterer, but she couldn't wait on Gatsby any longer to get himself together with money. One thing that is crazy is that as Tom was in the house with them to get them something to drink, Gatsby and Daisy just started making out. He didn't even have any suspicion about their relation with each until he later noticed him giving her glances and when Gatsby had that outburst of his love towards Daisy. I'm not sure if they actually had sexual affairs with each other as they were married, but I think they did, and they most likely did before she was married.

Puritanism Traits in The Great Gatsby

          In class, we have mainly studied Puritanism out of the other -isms that we were told about. I looked for some of these traits in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although this book wasn't written during the Puritanism period, I did come across a couple of traits of Puritanism. I'm aware we did an assignment similar to this when we had a substitute in class, but time prevented me from achieving this with quality. 

          On the first page of the book, it reads,"...reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures." Puritans believed that there shouldn't be any social pleasures. By speaking of someone's flaws, you are creating a barrier of vanity around yourself and allowing others to frivolously laugh at what someone couldn't prevent from happening. Their appearance was predetermined by God. Also, as you fill yourself with vanity, you will no longer remain pure. Nick, the main character, is doing well by reserving all judgments. The area where he faults Puritanical traits is by telling the readers that curious natures have been opened up. This is telling the readers that he is showing interest in something other than God, but he needs to keep up a neutral persona.

          On the ninety eighth page, Gatsby realizes he is the son of God. It most likely is because he didn't want to accept his parents as his parents, but he did come to the realization that he is the son of God. The Puritans believe their purpose in life was to glorify God. They also believe that God created them to be brought down for His glorification. They were concerned with doing God's will. Although Gatsby says he is the son of God for selfish purposes, he is correct.  

In it for the Long Run Final Draft

Porscha 

Mr. McElveen

English II

28 August, 2013

                                                            In it for the Long Run

            There is always that one person that stands out extraordinarily from a group or community because of a major occurrence that happened in their life. That person is certainly not me. The point I am trying to bring across is that everyone has that “nick” that has made them insecure, confident, or proud about themselves. By nick, I mean something that was not initially there, but dented a place within the spiritual core  to harbor its existence. This “nick” also builds a foundation or a base for their personality, demeanor, and overall identity. A few things that stood out to me or had significance in my life exemplify part of my character. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.” These words can sum up how I feel about what makes me who I am today.

            The “circle”, “clique”, “crew”, etc. that I associate myself with today are a “nick” in my life. They are not necessarily mistakes, but they surely are not perfect. They hammered their way into my life, and I’m proud of that because if it was not for them I would have been the shy, little wall flower I used to be back in elementary school. As you see my “circle” coming threw, you may see some typical girls with dark hair and brown skin. Laughing or smiling, any bystander may think what you see is what you get, but that is not the case. Of course, they can’t even see enough to get what is going on. It seems as if there’s this invisible, translucent screening around us that is unbreakable. Although most people seem extraneous in my life, I know the people in my circle and I share a great bond, and I feel like they will be there for me for an infinite number of years which is the reason I symbolize them as a “circle”. 

            A butterfly, furthermore, is creature that I came to realize has imprinted their meaning in my heart. To see those beautiful creatures in their natural habitat is simply amazing. From the transformation they endure to the way they live after that. Ever since I was a little girl I thought they were great until it really hit me of just how amazing they were when I saw this hideous, brown and black patterned moth outside of my grandmother’s house. The contrast of diverse, bright colors of the butterfly to the bland color of the moth is really something to notice. I did not know how moths came into being, but I did know that butterflies were once caterpillars that eventually formed its cocoon and, sooner or later, broke threw. The transformation reminds me of how being born again can turn you into something new. This connects me with the Heavenly Father.

            Finally, I have another “nick” that can describe part of my character. I find that my hair gives off different vibes about my personality. It’s actually kind of cool because my hair is dark brown/black, and when it gets struck by water, it gets into a really tight curl consisting of only a few strands per curl all over my head. As many may notice, my hair has a lot of density to it so that can become a hassle. When my hair is straight, pressured heat has to be applied to multiple strands of hair. In this state, it has more luster and bounce. I can look very different to people with this change just because of this one aspect. My hair type represents two different personalities for people who do not know me. For example, when it’s curly, people have told me that they see me as a younger person who is very bubbly, but when it’s straight I look older and more intimidating to talk too. Although I do not care about it, it can sometimes affect how people portray me as a person so I try to be as pleasant as can be.

            Seeing the symbols I explained may not help you know me, but if you know me you somewhat understand these three symbols. They have a deep root within my life that can be seen through how I carry myself and how I act. Comprehending how these things connect with me can help a reader or a friend get to know me a little better. 

            

In it for the Long Run

Porscha (LastName)

Mr. McElveen

English 4

15 August, 2013

                                                            In it for the Long Run

            There is always that one person that stands out extraordinarily from a group or community because of a major occurrence that happened in their life. That person is certainly not me. The point I am trying to bring across is that everyone has that “knick” that has made them insecure, confident, or proud about themselves. This “knick” also builds a foundation or a base for their personality, demeanor, and overall identity. A few things that stood out to me or had significance in my life exemplify part of my character. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.” These words can sum up how I feel about the things that make me who I am today.

            The “circle”, “clique”, “crew”, etc. that I associate myself with today are a “knick” in my life. They’re not necessarily mistakes, but they surely are not perfect. They hammered their way into my life, and I’m proud of that because if it was not for them I would have been the shy, little wall flower I used to be back in elementary school. As you see my “circle” coming threw, you may see some typical girls with dark hair and brown skin. Laughing or smiling, any bystander may think what you see is what you get, but that is not the case. Of course, they cannot even see enough to get what is going on. It seems as if there is this invisible translucent screening around us that is unbreakable. Although most people seem extraneous in my life, I know the people in my circle and I share a great bond, and I feel like they will be there for me for an infinite number of years which is the reason I symbolize them as a “circle”. 

            A butterfly, furthermore, is another thing I came to realize has imprinted their meaning in my heart. To see those beautiful creatures in their natural habitat is simply amazing. From the transformation they endure to the way they live after that. Ever since I was a little girl I thought they were great until it really hit me of just how amazing they were when I saw this hideous, brown and black patterned moth outside of my grandmother’s house. The contrast of diverse, bright colors of the butterfly to the bland color of the moth is really something to notice. I did not know how moths came into being, but I did know that butterflies were once caterpillars that eventually formed its cocoon and, sooner or later, broke threw. The transformation reminds me of how being born again can turn you into something new. This connects me with the Heavenly Father.

            Finally, I have another “knick” that can describe part of my character. I find that my hair gives off different vibes about my personality. It’s actually kind of cool because my hair is dark brown/black, and when it gets struck by water, it gets into a really tight curl consisting of only a few strands per curl all over my head. As many may notice, my hair has a lot of density to it so that can become a hassle. When my hair is straight, pressured heat has to be applied to multiple strands of hair. In this state, it has more luster and bounce. I can look very different to people with this change just because of this one aspect. My hair type represents two different personalities for people who do not know me. For example, when it’s curly, people have told me that they see me as a younger person who is very bubbly, but when it’s straight I look older and more intimidating to talk too. Although I do not care about it, it can sometimes affect how people portray me as a person so I try to be as pleasant as can be.

            Seeing the things I explained may not help you know me, but if you know me you somewhat understand these three things. They have a deep root within my life that can be seen through how I carry myself and how I act. Comprehending how these things connect with me can help a reader or a friend get to know me a little better.